Nathan Geiger, Mike Lengieza, and I examine participation in climate change related activism and policy support. We have assessed stereotypes about those most and least concerned about climate change action and the implication of these stereotypes for engaging in supportive and oppositional climate change activities. We are also examining individual and policy level predictors of support for climate change activism and energy policies designed to reduce the amount of excess carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere.

Science communication

How professionals and friends and family talk about climate change can matter. Some fundamental knowledge can be important for understanding the validity of concerns about climate change, confidence in one's beliefs about the topic, and drive for taking action. Yet, it is not likely sufficient.

Nathan Geiger, Johnny Fraser and I, along with our colleagues and students working with NNOCCI, have found that training Informal Science Educators to use strategic framework techniques increases their hope about their ability to discuss climate change with others and this translates into increased efforts by interpreters to reach others. Plus, educators efforts improve visitors and people in educators social networks knowledge, hope and the likelihood that they take actions to address climate change.

Minimization of climate change and climate justice.

Rather then denial of climate change, Brittany Bloodhart and I argue climate change beliefs more commonly represent minimizing climate change and its the justice implications. Approaching climate change as a justice issue helps make connection to decades of social science research on intergroup relations. This includes understanding mental models of climate change, the role of attributional ambiguity in creating uncertainty about whether climate change is a problem and rights have been violating, being willing to speak up about climate change and climate justice all of which are impacted by the types and degree of connection people feel toward those who are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

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